In Their Own Words is our Q&A feature, where we sit down with a member of the m+p team to talk about their path to this work, what keeps them inspired, and a few things that might surprise you. No corporate bios. No rehearsed talking points. Just real people, real stories, and — naturally — really good words.
Michael Maslansky talks about the state of public trust, the art and science of Language Strategy, and some surprisingly common communication mistakes.
In Their Own Words is our Q&A feature, where we sit down with a member of the m+p team to talk about their path to this work, what keeps them inspired, and a few things that might surprise you. No corporate bios. No rehearsed talking points. Just real people, real stories, and — naturally — really good words.
In Their Own Words is our Q&A feature, where we sit down with a member of the m+p team to talk about their path to this work, what keeps them inspired, and a few things that might surprise you. No corporate bios. No rehearsed talking points. Just real people, real stories, and — naturally — really good words.
Digital twins and AI personas are everywhere. Maybe you’ve built a “typical” synthetic persona that sounds uncannily real when you ask it a question. But are the responses accurate? Michael Maslansky says probably not, based on our research. When it comes to testing your message, synthetic audiences are probably giving you false confidence. Find out why in this insightful piece.
What if your communication strategy was less about intuition and more about evidence? At maslansky + partners, our linguists treat language the way scientists treat any phenomenon: we look for patterns, form hypotheses, and test them rigorously.
In this thought piece, Kat Starcevic and Alannah Connolly explore how combining linguistic rigor with real-world communication challenges—from healthcare to genomics—transforms the way organizations build trust, bridge gaps, and move audiences to action. Because when you approach language as both an art and a science, something magical happens.
When CFO Brew needed expert insight into why financial leaders avoid certain language during economic uncertainty, they knew exactly who to call: our CEO, Michael Maslansky. Michael was recently quoted in this interesting article about challenging economic conditions and the dreaded “R word.”
For decades, “healthy” was one of the most powerful words in food. It sat proudly on cereal boxes, snack packs, and frozen meals. But under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, “healthy” is suddenly a liability. And the brands who don’t evolve their language are already paying for it in lawsuits, recalls, and reputational damage. m+p Senior Vice President Jason Martuscello shares why Language Strategy matters now more than ever.
Language shapes what we notice, remember, and act on. The words and phrases that break through—from the funny to the “cringey” to the profound—become true Language Moments. They jump out, capture our imagination, and change the way we talk and think about people, issues, and events.
In 2025, they spanned politics, business, tech, and culture. From the “Golden Age of America” and “MAHA” to “AI slop,” “job hugging,” and who can forget “Labubu”… our annual video compilation highlights the language moments that defined the year. It’s fast-paced, punchy, and packed with the year’s most memorable phrases!
Synthetic research isn’t magic. It’s not snake oil, either. It’s a tool that can deliver insights faster, more affordably, and with audiences that were previously out of reach. But like any tool, it works best when you know how and when to use it. The research projects that will win aren’t the ones that blindly adopt AI research or stubbornly avoid it. They’re the ones that ask the right questions first.
Before you commit to synthetic research – or write it off entirely – here are five steps that will help you be successful.
